I've seen some people wear a rash guard over their PFD to eliminate possible things to catch on. I guess you then wear the trap harness over the whole kit? There are so many possible combinations (wetsuit, pfd, harness. OR rashguard, pfd, harness or etc. etc. etc.).
Do you people have an optimum choice or is it purely a trial and error and go with what works on that particular day with those temps and environmental conditions?
Drysuits add a whole new twist to the equation don't they?

Thanks for your help.....I'll be interested in what you think works best.
Greg

On winter days (water temp only gets down to about 60 here), I wear a full, one piece wetsuit with the harness over that, and then the PFD on top. Sometimes the PFD gets in the way when I try to clip in, but most of the times it is OK. I like to have the harness as close to my skin as comfort will allow. If you put it over the PFD, it will shift and bunch up and be uncomfortable the whole day. In warm weather, I wear just the Harness with PFD on top (swim trunks are optional )

>I've seen some people wear a rash guard over their PFD to eliminate possible things to catch on<

Whether it is psychological or not, a rash gard over the PDF is for less wind resistence (see attachment, don't know if red+black makes one faster).

I think the idea is to wear the harness on the OUTSIDE of all other gear. That way, should the harness get hung up on something, you could then egress easily from the harness.

At least thats what I have been told, and its what I try to do. Sometimes, you will find you must add a peice of shock cord to the back of the shoulder straps so as to keep the shoulders from falling of.

Michael

I have always put the harness on first and tightened it up, If I am on the line for a long time I find that my back hurts less if the harness is tight. If a wetsuit or other temperature saving device is worn then it is under the harness, the PFD is over the harness and if it may warm up during a sail I put a wind breaker over the lot. I have never gotten hung up on the trap line but I am sure everyone that drowns says the same thing, as far as getting out of the harness if you are trapped, good luck, besides if you are wrapped up in lines under a boat, getting out of the harness is not a high percentage move. I like the idea of a covering over the whole mess to prevent lines from catching in the first place but have
not done it yet. I have been thinking of a uni-device pfd-harness-camelback for distance races and may sew one up as soon as I can get all the parts together.

There used to be a one-piece lycra suit (nice! ) made by Alpha Marine in the UK. I certainly had two or three of them and so did just about everyone racing seriously on the Tornado circuit in the early '80's. They were light blue with a white arm and leg stripe each side. We wore them over all our gear as the last thing we put on supposedly to cut down wind resistance and stop us getting hung up on lines, wires etc. around the boat. If you were a crew, you cut a button hole and stiched round it for your trapeze hook to poke through. They worked really well but we all looked ridiculous .

Doesn't anyone make anything similar today?

>I have been thinking of a uni-device pfd-harness-camelback
>for distance races and may sew one up as soon as I can get
>all the parts together.

This might bring you into conflict (if you care about such
things) with ISAF rule 43.1(a)"competitors shall not
wear ... equipment for the purpose of increasing their
weight". I do not know how strictly this is handled but a
camelpack might definitely be interpreted as increasing
your weight.

Ceitzi

Most of our distance races exclude that rule for the event....or at least they should. Although, I don't think I've ever actually seen the exclusion in the RSIs, most of the committee's I have asked about say that it is allowed for our distance racing.

I have a lifejacket that was a limited run built for this purpose. However, the pocket in the back is part of the outer shell of the life jacket such that when you fill it with a water bottle, the lifejacket gets about 1 size smaller. It is nice to have it all together as one unit but I will be using that lifejacket and sewing on an 80oz camelback to the back of it this year just because it's more comfortable that way.

For catamaran distance racing, you can carry a 12-pack of Bud on your back for all anybody cares.

I think the ISAF rule was made primarily to prevent dinghy sailors from injuring their backs hiking with water bags on their backs.

I like the idea, not sure on the practice. I really disliked getting lines caught on the things hanging off my vest and either being stuck or having the item become air born never to be seen again. but having easy access to a gps, radio, map and stuff is also important. After some time in the USMC I learned to tie things on, but this also ends up being tied to a sheet or two when you least expect it. Some nice zippered pockets sewn into the all in one vest covered with slippery stuff is what I am thinking with a peice that hangs down to under your butt to reduce any line attachment. Now someone is going to build this and make lots of money, and no one will believe I had the idea. Oh well, at least I will be able to buy it without all that sewing.

Has anyone looked at the JETPILOT wakeboard PFD's? There is a ton of them on EBAY and they look very form fitting and sleek. No bulk at all to them. One MAJOR problem I see is that they are not USCG approved. Does anyone know why? Is it they don't provide enough bouyancy?

The wakeboard PFD is too long-waisted...it will interfere with your trap hook. When the hook rides up under load it will push the PFD up into your face. Follow the kayak PFD designs. They are very short waisted and are really well made. Pay the money and get a good one that fits you. Don't scrimp here.

David's right: Go to a good Kayak store where they have a lot of selections and get one that fits well. I personally like one with pockets so I can keep my radio, cat key, knife, and a whistle very close by. In cooler weather I put my spray smock over the PFD so I can quickly remove it when things get too warm.

I like Jake's idea of sewing the camelback to the back of the jacket. I wonder if I could be that handy? I might sail better if I use this than reach for a beer everytime I get thirsty.

Wyatt

I'm too lazy to sew one on, and just put one over my lifejacket. Only issue I've had (besides the occasional mainsheet slack hung up during a gybe) is the mouthpiece got hooked on something and pulled out of the tube, causing some loss of my drink. I've since routed it underneath to prevent this.

A large lycra rasher over all of this getup would probably do the same job, but I'd most likely look like the hunchback
of Notre Dame

Well it would depend on what you put in the camel back. Rum and coke comes to mind. (I do not support drunk sailing, only mellow sailing) Giving the right of way to everyone, and no stress.